How To Enable Or Disable The Taskbar Cortana Search Bar

Cortana is Microsoft’s voice activated assistant and designed to be a suitable alternative for Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa. Learning how to enable or disable the taskbar Cortana search bar is extremely simple to do. This post will cover the pros and cons of Cortana and guide you through the simple steps showing how to enable or disable the taskbar Cortana search bar.

Cortana might seem a little clumsy at first, but it’s important to remember that every voice command system has a substantial learning curve.

Cortana is one of those features that many users are reluctant to try. This is unfortunate because many excellent features are included with Cortana integration. If you don’t know what you can use with Cortana then the best thing to do is simply try it out! Try clicking on the Cortana microphone and say “Set a timer for 15 minutes” Or “Schedule an appointment for tomorrow at noon”. Be creative and experiment with various questions and requests!

Benefits You Gain By Learning How To Enable Or Disable The Taskbar Cortana Search Bar

There are a number of benefits to keeping Cortana enabled on your Windows 10 operating system. If you haven’t already, check out these 10 Awesome Tricks You Can Do With Cortana where I cover some great features you can take advantage of with Cortana.

Cortana might seem a little clumsy at first, but it’s important to remember that every voice command system has a substantial learning curve. Many times it is critical to learn how to emphasize certain words or slow down your normal conversational voice. It’s best to give any new system a 4 to 6 week trial run before you throw it out for something else.

A 4 to 6 week experiment can seem a bit daunting, but here are some of the benefits you will get with keeping Cortana:

Geography – Simply ask, “What is the capital of [state]?” or “What is the country code for [country]”?

Reminders – Simply state, “Remind me to [task] at [date and time].”

Appointments – Simply state, “Schedule an appointment with [person] on [date and time].”

Cortana offers a wide variety of voice-based connectivity. You can even configure Cortana to work with your Google calendar instead of the standard Microsoft calendar. This allows for great integration with your 3rd party services.

Disadvantages When Learning How To Enable Or Disable The Taskbar Cortana Search Bar

As with anything, Cortana has her disadvantages. The primary reason most people disable Cortana is because of privacy concerns. There are legitimate concerns of how Microsoft is going to use your personal data, this includes your voice because quite frankly, we don’t know what they will do. Of course, Microsoft claims they will not use your Cortana information for harm but who knows what the future holds.

One great thing to recognize is that Microsoft Cortana asks you for permission if she needs to access certain applications. In other words, the won’t go digging through your calendar or contacts until you give her permission. Typically this will pop up on your screen after you’ve requested her to do something that requires the necessary information.

The other disadvantages when learning how to enable or disable the taskbar Cortana search is that you will lose access to all of the benefits outlined in the previous section.

The Windows 10 Basics Course Includes How To Enable Or Disable The Taskbar Cortana Search Bar

Learning how to enable or disable the taskbar Cortana search bar is part of my Windows 10 Basics course. If you haven’t done so, I strongly encourage Windows 10 users to enroll in the Windows 10 Basics course. At this moment, all courses are on discount for a limited time. The Windows 10 Basics course will coach you through many essential features of the Windows 10 operating system. Furthermore, it will not just show how to enable or disable the taskbar Cortana search bar.

Join the Windows 10 Basics right now to take advantage of coupon code BLOGREADER because this coupon will get you 50% off the advertise price.

All students receive lifetime access for one small price. Students can come back any time to watch the course. Join the Windows 10 Basics right now to take advantage of coupon code BLOGREADER because this coupon will get you 50% off the advertise price. This coupon code will get you the best possible deal and do not hesitate to contact me if you have any issues during registration.

Video Tutorial Showing How To Enable Or Disable The Taskbar Cortana Search Bar

The following video covers how to enable or disable the taskbar Cortana search bar. I put this lesson together for anyone in my Windows 10 Basics course. If you haven’t looked at it, I encourage any Windows 10 user to enroll in my Windows 10 Basics course. It teaches many of the essentials of the Windows 10 operating system.

Step By Step Instructions Showing How To Enable Or Disable The Taskbar Cortana Search Bar

The following step by step instructions will walk you through how to enable or disable the taskbar Cortana search bar. The process of doing so is extremely easy, if you pay close attention it will go smoothly

Right Click On The Cortana Search Box

Mouse Over Cortana

To Hide It, Click Hidden

In Order To Hide The Search Box, Click Show Cortana Icon

To Show The Cortana Icon And Search Box, Click Show Search Box

Enabling the Cortana search box on the Windows 10 operating system is very easy to do. It’s important to note that disabling the search box does not completely disable Cortana. Cortana is integrated tightly with the Windows 10 operating system. If you are planning on disabling Cortana completely then you will need to navigate to your Cortana settings under Start Button > Settings > Cortana.

Once you’ve completed all of the above steps then you are good to go!

Don’t forget to join the Windows 10 Basics course and take advantage of coupon code BLOGREADER because this coupon will get 50% off the advertise price. Thank you for visiting my site and checking out my tutorial showing how to create a user in Windows 10 without an e-mail address. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me or leave a comment below.

Author:Craig Chamberlin

Craig Chamberlin is an active professional IT Administrator, E-Commerce Web Developer and SEO Expert at Precision Electric, Inc. The basic motto of "Always improving towards the ever elusive ideal" guides his approach to teaching, life as well as business.